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Vicksburg, Shreveport & Texas |
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| The road was chartered in 1853 to
link northeast Texas to the Mississippi River, through Shreveport,
without relying on the uncertain river levels of the Red River. By
January 1861, the line was in operation the 75 miles from Vicksburg to
Monroe, Louisiana; an additional 5 miles had been built west from
Shreveport and the grading to the Texas line completed.
In early 1862, the Confederate army seized the road because of the Union sympathies of its directors. Since Monroe was a major quartermaster post for the Trans-Mississippi Confederates, the road was heavily used in their supply until Union operations caused serviceable rolling stock and other machinery to be dismantled and hauled to Shreveport in August 1863. Eventually, the entire line east of Monroe was destroyed, with usable iron rails being removed to support other Union railroads. The road west of Shreveport may have been completed to Marshall, Tx., with rails from the Southern Pacific RR, in 1864. In September 1862, the line west of Shreveport, the locomotive Ben Johnson, and several cars were leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad for an extended period. |
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| Black's Number | 98 (map) |
| Track | 80 miles of 5 foot 6 inch gauge of unknown type and weights of 48#, 56#, and a little 64# |
| Locomotives | 6; 6 names |
| Cars | 67 |
| Stations | 19 |
| Officers | All 1861 |
| Passengers | 1861 |
| Significant Documents | |